WGA Strike: Your thoughts?

[Otohiko]

Yea, let's not go all "lololo hollywood sux" here. Ignoring the fact that I really don't care for TV writing at all, since I don't watch TV (and there's a good reason for that) - this is really about the right of creators to own and profit from their work. And I certainly think writers should get a fair share of their profits - but as in any arts-related business, seems the corporations tend to grab a more than reasonable chunk.

So in a limited way, these guys have my support. I don't give a damn for their writing, but they deserve a better deal for it I suppose.

[aesling]

The writers aren't exactly innocent, but the studios and producers are by far the bigger douches at the moment. And god dammit, when they run out of new episodes of Pushing Daisies there'll be hell to pay.

They stopped streaming new ones off of abc.com, so I thought they already had ;_; (I don't currently have cable). I suppose if online viewing is a bone of contention though, it makes sense that it's been halted for the time being.

I agree that it doesn't seem unreasonable for TV writers to want a bigger cut. It seems like writing for tv isn't in any way a guaranteed business. Even if you have brilliant writing the show may still get yanked if it doesn't pull in the ratings (i.e. Arrested Development).

[Zarxrax]

Doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's not like these guys are performing some life or death job like a surgeon or something. I think we are all going to survive.

[Yok/0]

God there's a lot of stupid in this thread. Shame on you all.

That might be so, but this is their opinion. I appreciate your feed back on this as it was informative but just saying "they were wrong" would have been better :/.

I'm not going to claim that the writers are perfect, especially in the realm of films - I think when the press is quoting the guy who wrote Deuce Bigalow 2 then you're not exactly in a position of strength.

This is a chain pattern I've also been noticing when watching clips of the "writers."
It's the time like the protest that I wish I could participate only to come up to half of the writers to complain how much of their script was just a copy of another and then complain for my money back.

For those who've been talking about the Richer people screwing over the Rich people. This whole Protest isn't about More Money but a residual, a percentage of what the studio is going to get. Some people are thinking that Bigger Money means more Salary. The writers get more if the studio/producers get more, even the same way if they get less, they get less. But to have hardly no percentage it becomes a problem. Again thank you posting, Dokool.

But in all honesty I can only see a whole series 1 time only. Surely your not gonna sit at home one night watching Sex in the City season 3 on wed. XD

Yea, let's not go all "lololo hollywood sux" here. Ignoring the fact that I really don't care for TV writing at all, since I don't watch TV (and there's a good reason for that)

Lol Yes I hope to keep this clean myself .

I agree that it doesn't seem unreasonable for TV writers to want a bigger cut. It seems like writing for tv isn't in any way a guaranteed business. Even if you have brilliant writing the show may still get yanked if it doesn't pull in the ratings (i.e. Arrested Development).

can't wait to tell my brother's wife about what really happened with Arrested Development, thank you for posting ^^.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's not like these guys are performing some life or death job like a surgeon or something. I think we are all going to survive.

2x.

I still don't know why people would bother getting a TV straight to dvd series like the Sopranos. If I remembered correctly people kept watching that series straight to the end every season, why would you want to relive all 6 seasons in the total of 86 episodes to see the final episode that got criticized the most. There was probably more people pissed off of that episode than 9/11

[Orwell]

I still don't know why people would bother geting a TV straight to dvd series like the Sopranos. If I remembered correctly people kept watching that series straight to the end every season, why would you want to relive all 6 seasons in the total of 86 episodes to see the final episode that got criticized the most. There was probably more people pissed off of that episode than 9/11

The fact that this is probably true is saddening.

As far as the actual financial issues go, I do support the WGA, however, "lololo hollywood sux". Or as mentioned the ratings for decent shows are often low, and thus perhaps it's more "lololo americans sux".

[Nessephanie]

I watch a good number of TV shows, and as much as I love them, I am in %100 support of the writers on strike.

It's the rich wanting more money from the richer.

Yes, there are some writers who make alot more money, but the average writer makes 62k a year, works sporadic jobs that can end at anytime, and if they don't land work on a hit show, find themselves to be undesirable hirees by 40.


The big issue, isn't the DVD sales. The writers offered to drop asking to go from 4 to 6 cents on DVD sales, the issue is what's being watched on the internet. Right now, the writers are getting ZERO for internet content, and they're asking for 2.5% of whatever comes in from the streaming. Why shouldn't they get a cut?

So how do we get our point across, to people who don’t understand why we’re doing this? The best way I have found, is to say: everything on the internet? We get zero. They get everything. They get millions and millions and eventually billions and billions, and we get zero. And the “they,” here, is basically six of the biggest baddest companies in the world, run by men who annually receive salaries and compensation well north of 50 million dollars.

They want to offer me absolutely nothing when they stream my show on-line, and further offer the comically-low 0.3% residual rate on things like iTunes downloads. Well, over time they will end up reducing my salary by something like 85%. That seems like a pretty drastic paycut.

They're on strike because the AMPTP won't sit down and seriously negotiate with them. It's not like they want to be there, but they're not getting a fair deal, and I hope they stay on the line until they do.

[Vlad G Pohnert]

I not for or against the writters, however the greed in Hollywood will mean that no one will want to give up thier share of the pie and hence they will just increase pricing to cover any increases in royalties, etc and yet again the consumer will have to pay the difference...

Shamefull considering how much money DVD sales really make for the studios...

Vlad

[Kalium]

It's the rich wanting more money from the richer.

Yes, there are some writers who make alot more money, but the average writer makes 62k a year, works sporadic jobs that can end at anytime, and if they don't land work on a hit show, find themselves to be undesirable hirees by 40.

As was pointed out recently in one of my classes, 62K is nothing to sneeze at. It's a good 50% above the 2004 median household income of 44K. Factor in that that's a single income, and that many households have more than one, well, and I have even less sympathy for them.

So let's be blunt. These people are not suffering for their art or any crap like that. They're paid plenty well.

Oh, source.

[Brad]

It's the rich wanting more money from the richer.

Yes, there are some writers who make alot more money, but the average writer makes 62k a year, works sporadic jobs that can end at anytime, and if they don't land work on a hit show, find themselves to be undesirable hirees by 40.

As was pointed out recently in one of my classes, 62K is nothing to sneeze at. It's a good 50% above the 2004 median household income of 44K. Factor in that that's a single income, and that many households have more than one, well, and I have even less sympathy for them.

So let's be blunt. These people are not suffering for their art or any crap like that. They're paid plenty well.

Oh, source.

The point of the figure wasn't to say "look how little these people get paid" its to point out that in COMPARISON to the rest of the production staff and studio heads. And its not like we're talking about the guys who get the coffee int he mornings, these are the WRITERS. They create the foundation that the production is based on. They're only asking for a higher portion of the DVD sales (is this still in effect? Did they end up dropping this one?) and stake in internet sales. Something they're getting NOTHING from.

I'm not saying 62k is a small amount of money. Far from it. I'd be THRILLED to make that much. But I'd be less thrilled if I knew that I DESERVED more that I was not getting for my creative work.

[Vlad G Pohnert]

Well, there are a ton of jobs that are underpaid! Not just writers....

Vlad